Episode 5

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The conversation between Audora and Daniel stopped immediately Clarissa entered the dinning once again. It made her feel as if she had interrupted something very important. Daniel's parents hadn't returned from where ever they had gone to and that left them to the constant teasing of Daniel's elder sister.

Daniel sighed in defeat before walking over to her to take her hand in his and walking out of the place. Stunned to the core, she followed him leaving Audora to smile in success.

---

The silence in the car was deafening. He could at least say something to get rid of the awkwardness between the both of them.

She stole a glance at him before looking away. He had a way of acting as if he was with no one else. She sighed.

"Are you going to tell me where we are going to?"

After a while he replied. "Relax, we're only going to visit my grandmother's grave. I don't know why my sister insisted that I take you with me and I don't plan of knowing anyways, so I need you to give me some space when we get there."

At least he wasn't asking for too much. All he was asking for was space, she could bear that.

"That won't be a problem, I'll do just that."

He was already too upset with himself that he had forgotten their normal tradition to visit her yearly because he was too preoccupied with work.

As the aspiring CEO of JK groups, he has piles of files waiting to be attended and he couldn't spend anymore time wallowing on empty thoughts.

He stole a look at her before looking back at the road.

---

It was sunset and the view from there was quite beautiful. She found a place to sit before the water admiring the sky in its Glory.

She smiled to herself loving the view of that particular evening. Just sitting there and doing nothing got quite tiring and so she allowed herself think away.

She sighed like a damsel in distress at the thought of what her cousin would be doing now. She must probably be having a lot of fun with her lover or something but here she was secretly crushing on her cousin's ex.

Times like this made her remember the times she spent with him every time her cousin stood him up. He wasn't the rude and bossy kind of person for his billionaire status, and that was why she was comfortable all those times they spent time together.

Thinking of it now, Clara ditching him so many times could have been signs. Signs that she couldn't pull through with the marriage.

Here she was now, in a wedlock with the guy she was secretly crushing on, what does fate have in store for her? When she thought about that, her thoughts gradually drifted to Nicholas.

She wondered how he would be feeling. Thinking of that, she hadn't seen him for a while now. Maybe he gave up on her and sorted a new life without her, maybe he accepted the fact that she couldn't be his anymore.

That they couldn't be together! She vividly remember the circumstances on which She said 'yes' to him. She just needed a distraction, a distraction to stop the itch anytime Daniel linked hands with her cousin.

She sighed when she realized she had been playing with her wedding ring unconsciously. She stared at the ring lovingly silently wishing that their relationship could be normal. She pulled it out and it slipped through her fingers and fell right into the water.

She cursed. "Shit! This cannot be happening to me why does it have to be the ring?!"

What should she do..?

What should she do.....?

She panicked. She thought about it for a second before taking off her shoes and diving into the lake even though she knew that there was only but a slim chance of getting it back. Combing her hair in frustration, she emerged all soaked and she cursed again!

"Rissa?" The tingles that erupted everytime he mentioned her name was something she couldn't comprehend. Forgetting that, he was there more quick than she expected and now there was no better excuse for her clumsiness.

His eyes widened on seeing her in the lake when the heavens were already threatening to pour down rain.

He shrieked, "What in heavens name are you doing in there?!"

"I lost it, I lost my ring to the water, one minute it was in my hands and the other it's in the water-"

"Get out of there you're going to get a cold!" She was already shivering and so she complied and got out of the water.

"You lost it, we'll get a new one, you shouldn't come down with a cold because of it."

It was worth it!

What made her put on a hopeful smile was that, he cared.

"I'm sorry, i didn't know what you were going to think-"

"Shush! I left you for sometime and look at what you've done to yourself." He sighed before saying, "let's go home already."

---

"How cold are you?" He asked but mentally face palmed himself for asking such a question.

She replied still, "Very." She hugged herself hoping to rid herself of a little cold.

"Just wait a bit, we'll soon be there." He stole a glance at her hoping he could drive fast before she freezes to death but it was like today, luck just wasn't on their side. His eyes widened as the car slowed down until it came to a stop.

"What went wrong now?" He looked at her mentioning; "I'll be back, give me a minute," before walking out into the rain.

Few minutes later he had come back completely drenched from the rain. "There's something wrong with the radiator. Plus we have a flat tyre, I'll try and see if I can get Noah to come give us a lift." He said to her but she didn't even have the strength to alter a word of reply to him.

He was so confused, he didn't know how to help. Right now, she had taken off her wet clothing and wore only his white sleeve shirt which seemed to have impressively cover half of her thighs.

"I couldn't get any signal." When she sneezed he knew her cold was a bad one.

He thought for a moment just staring at her wouldn't help and so, he joined her at the backseat.

"What....what are you doing?" She asked as she watched him dry himself with a towel he always leaves at the back of the car.

The towel she had used but that didn't stop his shivering. At that moment, he was more concerned about her.

"I heard once, body heat works." He told her and she couldn't believe her ears. "You shouldn't mind because you're literally freezing and I can't let you freeze to death." He said before hugging her to himself.

He was now shirtless and she was enjoying the feel of his body on hers. She snuggled closer into him. If this was one of those 'once in a lifetime thing,' she should at least make the best of it.

He smelled her hair. Rude, yet he was addicted already to the strawberry scent it carried. He had once thought about holding her, so this was how it felt.

so comfortable....

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